Thermodynamic motor.



F. W. H-AGAR.

THERMODYNAMIG MOTOR.

JULY21,1908.

APPLICATION FILED Patented Mar. 31, 1914,

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1?. W. HAGAR.

THERMODYNAMIG MOTOR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 21; 1908.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914,

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PATENT OFFICE.

F ANKLI W- 3.4 4 1 :NA U L EN E SEE THERMQDYNAMIC Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 21, 1908. Serial No. 444,595.

7 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANKLIN W. HAGAR,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thermodynamic Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to thermo-dynamic motors or explosive engines ofv the four-cycle type, though the features of the invention may be applied to a motor or engine of the two-cycle type and. particularly adapted for automobile or boat service, but useful for stationary purpose where uniform's'peed is desirable.

The .primary object of the invention is to proh ide means for efiectively charging the explosion chamber or cylinder with the motive agent, such as gasolene, forced thereinto by each stroke of the piston and to produce a proper mixture for explosive charge by a particular introduction of fresh air, which, by its forceful entrance into the explosion or combustion chamber, throws the explosive charge well out on the walls of the cylinder where it is kept comparatively cool and less liable to back fire from preignition, and as a further guard against premature ignition, a strata of fresh air is introduced between the piston and heated gas to lower the temperature of the latter below the igniting polnt, this introduction of fresh air strata between the piston a d heated gas being effected prior tothe a mission of fresh air for establishing proper mixture of the gasolene or other explosive agent with air to form the explosive charge,

A further object of the lnvention is to simplify the construction of motors of this class and render them more highly efficient in service by insuring a constancy of speed which is dueto regularity of explosion and the absence of fluctuating strokes.

For the purpose of illustrating one exemplification of the invention the drawings show an engine of the two-cycle type in which one impulseis produced upon each. revolution of the shaft, but it will be understood that the same principle may be embodied in other structures and is not confined to the exact-form of motor shown.

The invention includes generally a cylinder, an inclosed crank case forming an air chamber and provided with an automatically operating valve to regularly admit charges of fresh air into the said air chamher, a carbureter having communication with the air chamber and cylinder through the medium of an unrestricted port or duct means, a piston in the cylinder forming with the latter an explosion chamber, and a novel arrangement of air ports leading into the cylinder at different elevations or in spaced relation having communication with passage means or ducts which are open to the said air chamber.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional.

The numeral 1 designates a cylinder provided with a suitable water jacket 2, a valvecontrolled exhaust port .3 and a sparking plug 4. The lower extremity'of the cylinder 1 opens into the upper end of a crank case 5 which is imperforate except at points hereinafter noted, and therein a crank 6 is operatively mounted and forms part of or is carriedb a shaft 7 extending transversel into and t rough the case and carries a b wheel 8 on one end. This crank case forms the air chamber for supplying the several parts of the motor with compressedair and .has continual communication with a set of ports in the cylinder and with a carbureter, as will be more fully hereinafter specified, the means of communication between the said ports and the carbureter being independent. On the opposite end a cam 9 is fixed to rotate therewith, and held in continual engagement with the saidcam is a roller 10 carried b disposed sli e bar 11 movable in a guide 12 projecting outwardly from the case 5 and attached at its upper end to a rocking lever 13 fulcrumed in the upper extremity of a support 14. projecting from the to of the cylinder 1 and contacting at its ree end with the upper end of a' valve rod or stem 15 of the valve 16 controlling the exhaust port 3. The rod or stem 15 has a head or collar 17 thereon between which and the adjacent portion of the upper end of the cyl the lower end of a vertically.

Patented Mar. 31,1914.

and-

inder 1 a spring 18 is interposed and operates to normally seat the valve 16. The rod 11 through the actuation of the cam at intervals is shifted in timed relation to the explosions in the cylinder 1 to raise the outer end of the lever 13 and consequently depress the inner end of the said lever and the rod or stem 15 to open the valve l6for the purpose of exhausting the cylinder 1.

The crank case has an air inlet port 19 controlled by an inwardly opening springactuated valve 20, and movable within the cylinder 1 is a piston 21 having a piston rod- 22 connected to the crank 6. The cylinder and air chamber formed by the crank case are normally in communication and the piston 21 separates the cylinder andsaid .air-

chamber and the opposite faces of the piston are eXpOsed respectively to the cylinder and the air chamber. Within the lower extremity ofv the cylinder 1, which preferably has its wall thickened for the purpose, an annular feeding chamber 23 is formed and has communication through the lower end of said cylinder with the open top of the crank case .5 through the medium of air ducts or same.

the body of the cylinder substantially tan gentially in relation to the inner periphery of the latter or at angles to imaginary radial lines intersecting the ends thereof, so that the streams of air issuing from said ports are directed toward the outer end of the cylinder, partake of a whirling movement, and hug the inner periphery of the wall of the cylinder, as shown by Fig. 2. The discharge .ends of these ports are also preferably arranged in. close juxtaposition, so that, 1n effect, the streams of air issuin therefrom intermingle and form a film having a whirl: ing and a lengthwise movement in relation to the cylinder.

In addition to the feeding chamber 23 and ports 26 just described and forming one ofthe most essential features of the invention is an auxiliary inlet means for air to the interior of the cylinder 1 slightly ahead of the ports 26 and consisting in the present instance of a plurality of ports 27 disposed in a horizontal plane and setting up communication between the interior of the cylinder 1 and an annular air duct or chamber 28 which is supplied by means of a pipe connection 29 communicating therewith as at 30 and with the crank case 5, the pipe con- .45 is operatively associated.

nection 29 being provided with a positively adjustable valve 31 to regulate the supply of air to the chamber 28 and by means of the ports 27 to the interior of the cylinder 1 in advance of the air supply coming through the ports 26. The movement of the piston 21 controls the open and closed condition of the ports 26 and 27 and in its down stroke immediately subsequent to an explosion, the piston 21 first uncovers the ports 27 and a thin film ofair is forced into the cylinder 1 between the piston and the heated gas or exploded charge and such film of air lowers the temperature of the gas or charge below the igniting point of the fresh charge or explosive mixture admitted to the cylinder through the ports 26 immediately subsequent to the uncoverin of the ports 27 and by this means a sa eguard is provided against premature ignition with material advantages in the production of regularity of stroke of the piston and operation of the crank shaft 7.

The preferred form of carbureter applied to the motor comprises elements as follows:

A casing 32 inclosing a float chamber 33 with a vertically movable float 34 therein having a stem 35 extending centrally through the said chamber, the lower end of the stem being movable in a socket 36 and theupper end thereof being reduced as at 37 and controlling a feed inlet 38 to which a supply pipe 39 is connected and may extend away any suitable distance to a tank or receptacle 40 containing gasolene or other suitable explosive agent. The casing 32 has a feeding attachment forming part of the wall of the feed chamber 33 and comprising a lower outlet chamber 42 having communication by means of an opening 43 with the bottom of the said feed chamber '33 and also formed with an upper contracted outlet opening 44 with which a needle valve To the intermediate portion of the attachment at a point adjacent to the upper extremity of the outlet opening 44 a feed pipe 46 is connected and projects into the lower extremity of the cylinder 1 and has communication with the feeding chamber 23 through an upper opening 47, the end of said pipe 46 being also open, but closed off by the Wall of the cylinder 1 from direct communication with the chamber 23, and hence the onlyoutlet between the pipe 46"and the said chamber 23 is the opening 47 in the upper part of the pipe within the chamber. The pipe 46 communicates with a passage or transmis sion chamber 48 in the attachment 41', the upper end of said transmission chamber being adapted to communicate with the upper portion of the feed chamber 33 and is controlled by a positively adjustable valve 49 having an exteriorly projecting stem 50 with suitable operating means. The stem 50 is.

screw-threaded and has a lower slotted extremity 5O movably held in a socket 50 of the valve 49, a spring 50 surrounding the socket of the-valve and terminally engaging the latter and also an adjacent portion of the stem as shown and whereby the valve may be set to a certain open position with respect to the upper openend of the transmission chamber 48 and be automatically moved by an increase of air pressure to extend or increase the distance between the valve 49 and the said upper open end of the transmission chamber. The gasolene or other explosive agent is maintained at the level shown by Fig. 1, and hence the said explosive agent has the same level in the chamber 42 and outlet 44, the quantity of the explosive agent passing through the outlet- 44 being regulable by the valve 45.

In the modification shown by. Fig. 4 the cylinder 1- has its open end communicating with the crank case 5 and the auxiliary chamber 28, pipe connection 29, ports 27, and ports'26 are in all respects similar to like features shown by Fig. 1. The ports in this instance communicate with a substantially circular chamber 51 into which the end of the pipe 46 fully opens'as shown, and said chamber 51 has communication with the interior of the crank case through the begins to descend. Under these conditions the ports 26 and 27 will be closed in view of the fact that a portion of the piston is located thereover. The descent of the piston will compress the air within the crank case 5 and force a portion of the air upwardly through the duct 24 and opening 47 into the pipe 46, and from the latter the air passes into the transmission chamber 48 and thence past the valve 49 linto the upper part of the feed chamber 33 and forces the float 34 downwardly and at the same time compresses the gasolene or other explosive agent in liquid form in the said chamber 33 and eventually the said explosive agent is delivered in a separated or comminuted state into the pipe 46 and passes int-o the chamber 23 where it commingles with the air and a proper mixture is produced for the explosive charge. Prior to the admission-of the explosive charge through the ports into the explosive chamber ahead of the piston 21, the ports 27 are opened and a strata of fresh air is admitted, as hereinbefore explained, and if the exploded residuum or gas remaining in the explosion chamber is of a temperature that would ignite a fresh explosive charge entering said chamber, the admission of air through the ports 27 will lower the temperature ofthe exploded gas to such a deation there is no limit to rotative speeds and the air passing through the ports 27 is eventually diluted by the main volume coming in contact therewith, and immediately subsequent to the admission of the strata of fresh air, the ports 26 are uncovered and admit the full explosive charge into the cylinder or explosion chamber, and at this time, or just as the ports 26 have been fully uncovered, as shown by Fig. 1, the piston 21 will have arrived at its lower stroke limit. At regular intervals the valve 16 will be forced open to exhaust the explosion chamber or relieve it of the dead gases and residuum due to the explosion, but when the piston 21 begins its up-stroke, said valve will be closed, the closure of the valvebeing efi'ected at a time when the dead gases and explosion residuum will have been liberated from the explosion chamber or cylinder 1. The up-stroke of the piston causes a gradual compression of the explosive charge and also sets up a suction in the crank case 5 which inwardly opens the valve 20 and admits a fresh charge of air to the said crank case, the latter operating as a throttle. When the piston 21 has arrived at the upper limit of its stroke, the

explosion of the compressed charge is effected with an impulsive result with relation to the said piston, and a repetition of the com-. pression of the air within the crank case 5 and within the feed chamber 33 ensues, as hereinbefore explained.

The valve 49, as hereinbefore explained, is movable on its stem or has an automatic operation against the resistance of the spring 50 to realize full crank case pressure in the carbureter at high speed. The valve 49 is set to form a somewhat restricted opening between the transmission chamber 48 and the upper part of the feed chamber 33, and under these conditions let it be assumed that the motor starts ofi' on a low speed and during such low speed the action of the carbureter will be as hereinbefore explained. As the speed of the motor increases the restricted passage under the valve 49, if said passage was fixed, would not permit the carbureter to fill to crank case pressure. or

in other words the pressure in the feed the valve 49 opens under stress of this unbalanced pressure is determined by the varied speed or strokes-of the piston, or in other words, the valve is automatic in its action to regulate the-explosive charge in accordance with the speed or strokes of the piston, and without its automatic action or if it did not move' to enlarge the passage between the and carbureter, in view of the automatic action of the valve 49, will have an even pressure established therein. When the ports 26 are uncovered by the piston 21 the release of the crank case pressure is so quick owing to the sudden escape of the charge to or relief by way of the ports 26 into the explosion chamber, that the corresponding pressure in the carbureter remains about as it was prior to the uncovering of the said ports 26 in View of the fact that said pressure in the carburetor cannot fall as quickly owing to the restricted passage normally established between the transmission chamber 48 and the feed or carbureter chamber 33 by the valve 49, and for a short period there is a higher pressure in the carbureter than in the crank case and as a result the gasolene is forced out through the opening 43 into the passage 42, and while the pressure within the feed chamber 33 is at a high state the upper reduced end 37 of the stem is caused to clear the inlet 38 owing to a depression of the float 34 to recharge the said feed chamber 33 with gasolene orother explosive liquid. l/Vhen' the carbureter is properly proportioned it will give a correct mixture relatively from the minimum to the maximum passage of air through the motor for each successive charge. As the crank case pressure is reduced by partly closing the throttle, the pressure in the carburetor is correspondingly reduced, and the impulse to force out the gasolene or other explosive liquid is also reduced in like ratio. The arrangement is very simple, and when the gasolene level is once established, as indicated by Fig. 1, it has only one adjustment,

. namely, that of the valve 49 which may be set through its screw-threaded stem to regulate the size of the passage between the transmission and feed or carbureter chambers. In the construction shown by Fig. 4 the Yearbureter is illustrated as being directly connected to the explosion chamber where the semivaporized charge of explosive liquid is allowed to pass through one of the ports 26 directly to the explosive'chamber or cylin- .der where it is thoroughly mixed in view of the whirling motion of the air.

The improved motor will be found exceptionally advantageous in its operation, es- 7 pecially in avoiding premature and crank case explosions, and in order to effectively feed the gasolene into the chamber 33 from the tank 40 the pipe 39 will be provided with asuitable check valve to operate under the influence of the air pressure in the feed chamber to prevent the air from passing upwardly into the said tank 40, this check valve opening immediately after the air pressure is released from the feed chamber to permit the latter to be recharged with gasolene or other hydrocarbon from the tank 40.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new,.is:

1. In an explosive motor of the class specithe cylinder having two independent sets of ports completely encircling the same and in proximity to respectively feed air alone and explosive mixture to the cylinder, the air ports being materially smaller than the explosive mixture ports and directly connected to the crank case to feed a thin film of air under pressure from the latter into the cylinder ahead of the explosive mixture, the said ports being alternately closed and opened by the piston and the air feeding ports being first opened immediately subsequent to the explosion in the cylinder, and a carbureter having continuous communica tion with the crank case and also with the explosive mixture ports of the cylinder, the explosive mixture being fed from the carbureter to the cylinder solely by air pressure established in the crank case.

2. In an explosive motor of the class specified, a cylinder provided with a sole exhaust means at its upper endand having independent sets of air and explosive mixture feeding ports in adjacency near the extremits movement first opening the air ports to the cylinder subsequent toeach explosion in the latter, a closed crank case in continual connuunication with the air ports in the cylinder and having an airinlet and fully open to the compressing influence of the piston, and a carbureter having means for properly preparing an explosive mixture and feeding the latter to the explosive mixture ports in the cylinder, the carbureter being in continual communication With the crank case and having the air pressure therein from the crank case continually governed by the stroke of the piston which alternately creates a suction and a compression in the crank case.

3. In an explosive motor of the class specified, a cylinder having independent sets of inlet ports at one extremity for air and an explosive mixture, the feed of the air being independent of the feed of the explosive mixture to the cylinder, a crank case connected to the cylinder and in normal open communication with respect to the latter, a piston in the cylinder operating to successively open and close the said sets of ports and also controlling the admission and compression of air in. the crankcase, the ports admitting air alone to the cylinders being first opened by the piston, the piston forming partition means between the crank case and the cylinder and having one face thereof fully exposed to the crank case, a carbureter provided with means for properly preparing higherpressure produced in the carloureter than in the crank case to force out the explosive mixture from the carbureter into the cylinder, and independent communicating means between the crank case and air inlet ports whereby a stratum of air may be admitted to the cylinder prior to the admission of the explosive mixture to the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANKLIN W. HAGAR.

Witnesses:

E. O. ANDREWS, I. A. MITCHELL, Jr. 

